About the Author

Adam Smith, CFE, CFI

Adam Smith, CFE, CFI is the former senior regional manager of asset protection for Winn-Dixie’s Montgomery region, which includes stores in Alabama, South Georgia, and the Florida panhandle. He began his loss prevention career more than a decade ago with Parisian department stores, and has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Florida State University.

Articles by Adam Smith, CFE, CFI

Ask any loss prevention team what the most important aspect of interfacing with senior management is, and you’re likely to hear the terms “partnerships” and “cross-functional.” These elements are not specific to the loss prevention industry. You would probably hear a similar response from an executive in any other department.

Chances are, you’re heard someone say “sales cure shrink” or they plan to “outsell their retail shrink.” When this statement is used, the person uttering the words often has no idea what they are saying. Because of this, it’s easy to dismiss this statement. After a while, it may even

Armed robberies are rare. When they do occur, they rarely result in injuries. It’s important to preface any conversation regarding armed robberies in this way. This is not to imply that these incidents make up a significant amount of a loss prevention professional’s time. However, when they do occur, they

As a loss prevention professional, it is likely that you have responsibility for detecting, investigating, and resolving internal-theft cases. Doing so may support your organization’s zero-tolerance policy toward internal theft. Many top retailers rely on their loss prevention departments to give them a competitive advantage by controlling their operational costs

As a loss prevention professional, chances are that you conduct internal theft interviews. Furthermore, it’s probably the skill that impresses our business partners the most. You’ve no doubt been told several times that a particular person would not admit, only to have a written statement within an hour. These admissions

The idea that an Internet currency could solve the credit card hacker epidemic may seem counterintuitive. After all, hacking is a product of the Internet. Without the Internet, there would not be any point-of-sale (POS) retail hacking to fear. Bitcoin is far from mainstream, but it is a fascinating technological

Loss prevention professionals seem to be an eager group for continuing education. There are some great certifications in our industry, and I would encourage everyone to explore those. Additionally, a formal education can be a great foundation for a loss prevention career. These are great investments, but they do carry

The idea that an Internet currency could solve the hacking epidemic we’ve witnessed over the past few months may seem counterintuitive. After all, hacking is a product of the Internet. Without the Internet, there would not be any point-of-sale (POS) hacks to fear. Bitcoin is far from mainstream, but it

Current Issue

From a new crowdsourcing, crime-solving tool to a thoughtful conversation with Kevin Valentine of Signet Jewelers, from the latest data and results from the NRF's 2017 ORC survey to research and insights on food waste reduction, the January–February 2018 issue of LP Magazine delivers great ideas to make you a smarter LP professional.